Posted by Kay Reynolds, who lives in London and is retired, told how she often spoke to her older sibling about being the suspect
THE sister of murder suspect Ian Bailey expects him to be “fully exonerated” by new DNA evidence that could solve the Sophie Toscan du Plantier probe.
And Kay Reynolds, who spread her older brother’s ashes in Cork this summer, told how she “feels sorry” for Sophie’s family because so much time was “wasted” on Bailey in the case.
Sophie was battered and left to die at the gateway to her holiday home on December 23, 1996 near Schull in Co Cork.
Kay maintains that her sibling was innocent and explained that confirmation would be heartbreaking now that Bailey has passed.
Bailey collapsed and died, aged 66, following a heart attack outside his home in Bantry on January 21 last year.
Kay told The Irish Sun: “Yes, I expect him to be fully exonerated.
She added: “It’s going to be very, very sad and make it even more of a tragedy.”
Sophie’s uncle, Jean Pierre Gazeau, maintains that Bailey is his niece’s killer after French court proceedings found him guilty in absentia six years ago.
But he acknowledged to this newspaper the family will “have to accept” if the new evidence establishes someone other than the Manchester-born journalist took her life.
WAIT FOR RESULTS
Further tests are now being carried out to establish if Bailey or any of eight other men’s DNA, which they have collected as part of the case, matches the sample.
This process could take several weeks or longer.
Bailey — who always maintained his innocence — was arrested twice over mum-of-one’s Sophie’s murder, but he was never charged in Ireland.
A French court found him guilty of the killing in absentia and he was sentenced to 25 years in jail in 2019. But the High Court here refused to extradite him.
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